I grew up with the notion that marijuana is bad and wrong in every sense of the word. I grew up with the idea that intaking marijuana in any way was forbidden. I grew up with the idea that hanging with friends who smoked marijuana was wrong. The aura of everything marijuana was out of the question, unthinkable, preposterous, outlandish and just completely, utterly, irrevocably wrong.

So, for those who still believe all of the above idealisms then please don’t read this blog. Or, at least don’t be complaining about how stupid I am for believing what I believe. Well, I mean, this is a blog, I am posting it on the internet for all eyes to see, but honestly, I don’t need negativity in my life. If you’re gonna be negative I will be more than happy to show you the door. *kisses*

A lot of people don’t know but in 2010 I was diagnosed with Sjogren’s Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Fibromyalgia, PCOS and Borderline Diabetes. I don’t really broadcast any of that because quite frankly I’m private about it, I don’t want to be put in a bubble of fragility, and I have family member’s who are actually in dire need of prayers for their health situation so I’m not going to worry about mine. With that said, I do have those and because of those I have had to change the way I live my life.

You see, before being diagnosed I knew something was wrong. I slowly lost my strength. I slowly lost the ability to be on my feet non-stop. I slowly lost the sharpness of my cognitive thinking. I simply thought it was stress. A lot of stress. There was so much things going on in my life that I just associated it with why I wasn’t feeling well. I was very active growing up. Football and basketball was my life. Being active was all I had ever wanted.

When I got the swine flu – yes, I worked at a call center during that time so I contract that horrid virus – that’s when my body just flipped a switch and my health took a turn for the worse. I remember doing all the tests and not thinking anything of it because I didn’t believe I had anything to be concerned about. When I got that call from my doctor saying my immune system was compromised my whole world changed. At first, I thought it was bad. Almost like a death wish. I became angry and depressed and furious at life and God.

I met a doctor in Boise, ID that changed my life. He explained to me how changing my eating habits would help with the pain. You see, being in Boise after my swine flu in the frigid winters caused me to be stuck in bed during majority of the winter. Dr. B taught me how to semi-control the pains from the change of my diet. Even still, I still encountered days where I couldn’t do or be anything. I was put on different pain medications then medications on top of that to help with the side affects of those medications.

Then I moved to Oregon. My brother-in-law introduced me to cannabis. I did some studies and realized this could be something that could help. And it did. For the record, no I am not a pot head. I don’t smoke joints. I don’t use cannabis recreationally. I have been medicated, I have had my medical card, I have used cannabis in the past to provide comfort to my body. And guess what? It worked. It is the only thing that has ever helped me and the pain that I thought I’d always live with.

I don’t know why I’m telling you this. Or even blogging about this. I would probably get into a lot of trouble at work. But, I’m tired of the stigma that everyone that uses abuses it or are pot heads. I’m tired of everyone assuming cannabis users don’t have a life. I’m tired of everyone assuming cannabis should be seen as drugs like heroin or cocaine. I have lived a better life because I have understood what cannabis can do for me. I use it as a salve/ointment for my achy joints coupled with a better eating habit and now have a life I can live with. Do I regret understanding the healing properties of cannabis? No. Not even a little.

Do your studies people. Using cannabis medicinally has changed my life. Can it change the lives of others? Yes. So now I ask, how high? As high as I can go to be able to take my life back. And I have.